Monte San Lorenzo - Frisanco

Buon anno!  Perfect sunny winter day so I took a little ride toward Fanna, then turned left toward Monte San Lorenzo.  This is a smooth, wide, well-paved road, usually full of large trucks hauling rock from the quarry on Monte San Lorenzo to the cement plant at Fanna.  But on Sundays and holidays it's deserted.  The gradient is a good workout but never impossibly steep.  Very nice to descend too because of the wide switchbacks.  Today instead I descended northward on a narrow mountain lane to Valcolvera.  From here I continued north to the turnoff for Frisanco and headed up again, steeply but not unreasonable.  Just before Frisanco I turned right at the sign marked Madonna della Stangada.  This is a beautiful ridgetop road that climbs high above Val Muie (to the north) with great views of Monte Raut, Monte Valcalda, Monte Rest, and the hillside town of Casasola.  Soon you reach a pretty old church, Madonna della Stangada.  The road continues briefly to Valdistali then dead ends.  I think you can hike down to the Meduna River from the road.

Rode back quickly so I'd make it home by dinnertime.  No black-eyed peas, collard greens and sweet potatoes but I substituted ceci, costa da bietola, and zucca.  Hopefully it brings good luck in the new year!

"Reclaimed" remnant of Monte San Lorenzo's east slope; luckily the
west slope is still a beautiful hiking area with 13th century church  

View northward toward Monte Raut

Beautiful Madonna della Stangada church

Looking down at the campanile di Frisanco; note
characteristic wooden balconies on house (right)